Autumn Moths

Image copyright Ken Dolbear

Discover the autumn migrants, residents and rare moths of the ancient grasslands at Kingcombe and the Dorset Jurassic coast.

Led by David Brown

Fri 2 - Tue 6 Oct 2015

This special course will explore a number of diverse inland and coastal habitats, rich in moths that are active in autumn. We will be using moth light traps in the grounds of the Kingcombe Centre and a number of locations across Dorset including Studland, a coastal location with a wealth of heathland, sand dunes and wooded habitats nearby. Moths obtained will form the basis of identification workshops in addition to illustrated talks.

Autumn provides a great opportunity to experience potential autumn migrants from North Africa and the Mediterranean that reach the south coast, and to study the climatic conditions which trigger such movements.

This course has been scheduled to coincide with the nationally rare Blair’s Wainscot Moth. This Red Data Book species, which was discovered only 3 miles from The Kingcombe Centre in 1996, had been thought extinct in Great Britain for almost half a century. You’ll learn more of the fascinating history of this species in the UK, its ecology and specific habitat requirements. Data from this course will be used as part of the national recording and monitoring programme.

Suitable for all levels of experience.

David Brown, a former teacher of 20 years experience, has also lectured at Warwick University on Lepidoptera for many years. He has conducted successful courses for the Field Studies Council and Adult Residential Colleges Association since 1990. David is the County Moth Recorder for Warwickshire and author of ‘The Larger Moths Of Warwickshire’.